Since the death of her infant son five years earlier, literary agent Lyn Ravenshaw has dreaded the holidays. When her favorite client, Bridget, invites Lyn to join her for Christmas in South Wales, Lyn gladly accepts, hoping for a reprieve from her recurring nightmares. However, once the women arrive at their destination, Lyn's nighttime dreams shift into a new story: that of a woman who repeatedly begs Lyn to save her young son from the dragons. Unsettlingly, the dreams echo the real-life pleas of the young widow next door, who also has a small boy and is convinced Lyn is meant to be his protector.
Acclaimed novelist Susanna Kearsley (Season of Storms) spins an atmospheric narrative in Named of the Dragon, originally published in 1998 and available for the first time in the U.S. She creates an appealing cast of characters, setting them against a moody backdrop of steep cliffs, ruined castles and Arthurian legend. Practical, reflective Lyn and impulsive, big-hearted Bridget balance each other nicely, and they meet an engaging mix of local people, including the farm's cheery handyman and a well-known but reclusive playwright. The characters occasionally fall into types, and the story's supernatural element (involving the prophecies of Merlin and a child destined for greatness) is a bit fuzzy at times. But Kearsley's writing will keep readers enthralled as she weaves together themes of love, loss, facing one's past and the stories of British kings, both factual and legendary. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams